1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pepper can, more particularly an electric pepper can for grinding and dispensing pepper.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Pepper is widely used as a condiment. Pepper corns are usually reserved in pepper cans with grinding function, which can be used to grind pepper corns and dispense the ground pepper. U.S. Pat. No. 7,077,347 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,830,205 taught an electric pepper can structure, which includes a can body, a grinding unit, and a motor mechanism for driving the grinding unit to grind pepper.
The above-mentioned electric pepper cans will automatically switch to its on state to grind pepper as soon as they are held upright with their upper ends facing upwards. And, they will automatically switch to its off state as soon as they are turned upside down. More detailedly, such an electric pepper can includes a can body, a motor, a grinding unit, a power mechanism, a sliding electricity-conducting piece, and two electricity-conducting elements, which are usually off each other, and connected in series with the power mechanism and the motor respectively; when the upper end of the electric pepper can faces upwards, the electricity-conducting piece will slide to such a position as to make the electricity-conducting elements electrically connected; thus, the motor will be powered by the power mechanism to drive the grinding unit to grind pepper; when the pepper can is turned upside down, the electricity-conducting piece will be away from the electricity-conducting elements, and in turn the motor is turned off.
The electric pepper can has the following drawbacks: First, the electricity-conducting piece and elements are exposed to the air without any protective means; they are prone to oxidize and have dust accumulating thereon, thus reducing in their conductivity after having been used a length of time. Consequently, the grinding unit can't grind pepper smoothly. Secondly, the pepper can further comprise a chief switch, which is installed on an upper cover on the can body; when the upper cover is turned so as to change the chief switch into its on state, the electric-conducting elements will be connected to a battery set of the power mechanism; when the upper cover is turned to change the chief switch into its off state, the electric-conducting elements will be apart from the battery set. Therefore, the electric pepper can has many components, and relatively high manufacturing cost.